Photograph retouching apparatus



Feb. 12, 1952 P. w. 'BALL 2,585,423

PHOTOGRAPH RETOUCHING APPARATUS Filed D90. 16, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Fig]. 2 Fig.2.

Fig. 4.

F79 5 26 Inventor .\\\\\\\\\\\m Paul w. Ball WWa/wey M Feb. 12, 1952 w. L 2,585,423

PHOTOGRAPH RETOUCHING APPARATUS Filed D80. 16, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Fig.6. Fig.7.

I u ventar Paul w. 80// WW Z9. M518]:

Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims- The present invention relates to new and use ful improvements in the art of retouching photographs or photograph negatives, and more particularly to a retouching device mounted in the top of a retouching desk or table.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a movable frame for clamping a photographic negative or the like thereon, with means for vibrating the frame under the retouching pencil or implement, to thus speed up the retouching operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide an adjustable hand rest by means of which the retouching pencil may be held steady as it is guided over the vibrating work.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character which may be easily attached in position to a retouching desk or table with slight alterations in the construction thereof and which,

at the same time, is efficient and reliable in opif eration, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the hand rest;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view of the vibrating frame on which the work is clamped;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view thereof; and

Figure 8 is an end elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a retouching desk or table having a preferably sloping top 6 provided with a work-illuminating opening 1 and beneath which a lamp 8 is supported.

A light-weight work-holding frame is shown at 9 and is provided with a U-shaped clamp I having its ends coiled around screws II at the sides of the frame and inserted in slots 9a to hold the free end of the clamp under tension transversely at the front end of the frame for vertical swinging movement of the wire clamp Ill. The wire clamp I0 is provided with a plurality of cushions I 2- of rubber or other suitable material for clamping a photographic negative or other work I3 on the frame 9.

The rear or upper edge of frame 9 is formed Witha downturned flange or leg I4 to rest on the top 6, and the front or lower end of frame 9 is provided at itsunder side with an internally threaded boss I 5. l

A vibrating motor I'6,of aconventional type is secured to the under side of top Gby a bracket I1 and with the vibrating shaft I8 ofthe motor extending upwardly through an opening IQ of suitable sizein top 6 for attaching to boss I5 of frame 9. A switch20 is providedin the front of desk or table 5 for motor IE and isconnected in an electric circuit 2I with a suitable source of current, the circuit including the usual voltage regulator or condenser (not shown) as well as a rheostat to control the speed of the motor.

Anarm rest 22 is provided adjacent one end with a longitudinal slot 23 for attaching to the top 6 of the desk or table by means of a bolt and nut 24'to secure the arm rest in swingably and slidably adjusted position on the desk. The free end of the arm rest is curved upwardly above the plane of its attached end and is formed with a relatively wide shelf 25 with an upstanding flange 26 at its back edge to prevent slipping of the hand of a person from the shelf of the arm rest.

In the operation of the device, the frame 9 is attached to vibrating shaft I8 of motor I6 and the frame freely rests on the top 6 of the desk over the illuminating opening I. A photograph negative or other work I3 is then secured on the frame 9 by the clamp I0 and the operation of motor I6 sets up a vibration of frame 9 to thus vibrate the work While a retouching pencil held in the hand of a person resting on arm rest 22 is guided over the work in the retouching operation.

In View of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A picture retouching device comprising a work table having an illuminating opening and a lamp beneath the top thereof, a work holder frame having an opening disposed in registry with said first-named opening, said frame including upper and lower frame sections disposed in spaced parallel relation to each other and integrally united with each other at least at a portion of the periphery of the frame, a vibrator attached to said table, said vibrator including a vibrating element attached to said lower frame section, and means carried by the upper section for securing the work thereto.

2. A picture retouching device comprising a work table having an illuminating opening and a lamp beneath the top thereof, a work holder frame having an opening disposed in registry with said first-named opening, said frame including upper and lower frame sections disposed in spaced parallel relation to each other and integrally united to each other at least at a portion of the periphery of the frame, a vibrator attached to said table, said vibrator including a vibrating element attached to said lower section, a pair of pins disposed between said sections adjacent the united portion thereof, a U-shaped resilient clamp overlying said upper frame section and having the end portions thereof in engagement with the ends of said pins, and means yieldingly biasing said U-shaped clamp into engagement with said upper frame section.

3. A picture retouching device comprising a work table having an illuminating opening and a lamp beneath the top thereof, a work holder frame having an opening disposed in registry with said first-named opening, said frame including upper and lower frame sections disposed in spaced parallc'l relation to each other and integrally united to each other at least at a portion of the periphery of the frame, a vibrator attached to said table, said vibrator including a vibrating element attached to said lower section, a pair of pins disposed between said sections adjacent the 4 united portion thereof, a U-shaped resilient clamp overlying said upper frame section and having an intermediate portion of each of the legs thereof disposed about one of said pins, the

5 ends of the legs of said clamp being interposed between said sections to yieldingly bias the clamp into engagement with the upper face of said section.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said vibrator is attached to said lower sections adjacent its united end, and a depending lip on the end of said lower section remote from the united end thereof for engaging the work table.

5. A picture retouching attachment comprising an upper and a lower frame disposed in spaced parallel relation and integrally and resiliently secured to each other at least at a portion of its periphery, means for attaching a vibrator to the lower section, a pair of pins disposed between said sections adjacent the secured ends thereof, a

resilient U-shaped clamp in overlying engagement with said upper frame, having end portions of each of the legs thereof disposed about one of said pins, the ends of the legs of said clamp being interposed between said sections for yieldingly biasing said clamp into engagement with said upper section.

PAUL W. BALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Number Name Date 144,723 Wright Nov. 18, 1873 253,834 Berger Feb. 21, 1882 404,534 Girvin June 4, 1889 632,643 Choate Sept. 5, 1899 2,497,215 Good et a1 Feb. 14, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 764,297 France Mar. 5, 1934 

